On Thursday, Brad Crawford of 247Sports released his list of the top-25 coaches in college football.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart checked in at No. 4.
Crawford’s top-five was as follows:
1. Nick Saban, Alabama
2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson
3. Ed Orgeron, LSU
4. Kirby Smart, Georgia
5. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma
Smart was named the Bulldogs coach in 2015 after serving as Alabama defensive coordinator under Nick Saban for eight years.
Smart has led his alma mater to a 44-12 record over four years as the Bulldogs head coach and has boasted three consecutive No. 1 ranked recruiting classes.
There is no question that Smart has built a powerhouse at Georgia. He recruits at an elite level and has one of the best defensive minds in all of college football.
So, what separates Smart from Saban, Swinney and Orgeron?
A national championship.
Smart has led Georgia to three consecutive SEC East titles, an SEC Championship title, a College Football Playoff victory and a National Championship bid, but a couple of close losses to Bama have held the Bulldogs from the top of college football.
However, Smart will have another shot at a title in 2020 and it may be with the most talented team he has had in his time at Georgia.
The Bulldogs return many of the starters from the 2019 record-breaking defense and have a new air-raid offensive system behind the arm of Wake Forest transfer quarterback Jamie Newman, and new offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
A few other notable names on the list:
#8 – Florida head coach Dan Mullen
#9 – Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher
#13 – Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn
#15 – Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops
#21 – Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt